Weapon of Choice
by Alabaster Ink
Summary: It is customary in Narnia that on a royal's thirteenth birthday they must present a weapon forged by their own hands to the members of court. One the eve of his own birthday, Edmund finds himself running into a few problems. Sibling fluff.


Hey everyone! Yeah, I know I should be working on my other stories, but this one just wouldn't leave me alone. Le sigh. I think I've been watching too much X-Men: Evolution. Oh well. Please ignore any incorrect spelling or grammar, as this is not beta-ed.

This is not a romance, just sibling fluff.

Disclaimer: I own nothing except the plot and Master Phennon. Everything else belongs to C.S. Lewis.

Enjoy!

* * *

**Weapon of Choice**

**One-shot**

_Well, _Peter thought, _it could be worse._

Sunlight poured into the open corridor as he examined the thick leather gloves currently gracing his younger brother's hands. They definitely hadn't been what he expected, but that wasn't entirely unusual when he worked Edmund into the equation. The younger king was, for lack of better words, predictably unpredictable.

"So," A slightly cracking voice interrupted the older king's train of thought. "What do you think?" Peter bit back a grin as Edmund's voice jumped up an octave before returning his attention to the gloves.

"I think," he began, "that you need to get your head examined." His brother growled and Peter shot him a look. "Who gave you this idea again?"

Looking slightly annoyed, Edmund began to fidget and play with the fraying pieces of leather. "No one in particular. Though, you have to admit, they're definitely different." Well, all right, Peter could agree with that. Edmund's new weapon was indeed unique.

"I suppose so, but don't you think you should have started on something a bit, well, smaller?" Peter looked closely at his brother as if silently trying to decipher what was going through Edmund's head. As usual, the younger king wasn't offering up any answers.

"…I don't think I can get much smaller, Pete." The almost thirteen-year-old said bluntly, raising an eyebrow and crossing his arms along his chest.

"Edmund," The commanding older brother tone entered Peter's voice and he looked down at the younger king's smaller stature. "You know what I meant. Why didn't you just make a sword or a dagger? Aslan knows you've gotten too big for your old ones anyway." It was true. In the last few months, Edmund had hit a continuous growth spurt and his weapons no longer fit into his larger hands. This made for some rather unpleasant, yet entertaining, training sessions.

But the dark-haired boy wasn't giving up just yet, and he looked away from his brother's powerful gaze as he murmured out his reason. "Well, you already made a sword and Susan's got a dagger, so I decided to be a bit different."

"No offense, Ed, but I don't see how these are going to help you in a regular battle." Explained Peter. He understood Edmund's desire to stand out, but this was a bit much.

"Have you seen the Panthers, Pete? They don't need swords or daggers to be deadly."

"I understand that, Ed, but the fact remains that you are not a Panther. You are a boy," he held up his hand when his brother opened his mouth to argue, "on the verge of manhood, yes, but you are still just a boy. These are probably more fitting for someone with a feline body than a human one." Although the reasoning was sound, Edmund appeared to want none of it and he let his brother know it.

"But it was my choice." He stated fiercely, stopping in the middle of the hallway. "You chose to make a sword for your thirteenth 'birthday' and Susan chose to make a dagger. I didn't argue with either of you, so why can't you allow me the same courtesy?"

Even under Edmund's flashing gaze, Peter just let out a sigh and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I know that, Ed, but I want you to be safe in battle. These might not cut it."

"I'll still have my swords, they just won't be my main defense." Edmund shrugged. "Besides, isn't this whole weapon-making tradition supposed to be about creating something we're supposed make great? You know: 'A great king makes a great weapon, and a great weapon makes a great king.'"

"Yes, but, Ed-" Peter stopped his lecture before he could even begin, catching sight of the younger boy's determined eyes.

"Please, Peter."

"…You'll have to explain this to girls I hope you know," He forced down a groan when he heard Edmund's cheer. "But don't think this conversation is over yet!" Unfortunately, his brother didn't hear him, as the dark-haired king was already halfway down the corridor letting the entirety of the castle staff know of his delight.

"Oh, I just know I'm going to be hearing about this later."

He was right.

* * *

As predicted, Queen Susan of Narnia was none too pleased to discover her little brother's choice in weaponry. Yes, it was unique, and yes, it was most definitely interesting, but if there was one thing Susan cared for above all else, it was the safety of her family. Edmund's weapon, she thought, did not provide him with enough of that.

"A sword could pierce you before you even had time to get close, Edmund," She fretted once more during dinner. The young queen was certainly living up to her title at the moment and it was starting to get on her younger brother's nerves. "You don't have much range and what if-"

"Susan!" Edmund cut her off. "Please. I've already told Peter that I'm not going to change it. It was my decision and I happen to like it."

"But really, Ed, claws?" She leaned back into her chair. "Why ever would you choose such a thing?"

Once more, he began to move about uncomfortably only briefly meeting Lucy's questioning gaze. "It just seemed like an interesting idea. Nobody's done it before and I already have two swords. Making another just seemed stupid, I guess."

This did not appear to placate Susan at all and the worry and uncertainty showed themselves on her face. The pretty girl was most definitely pacifistic in many of her ways, but she was not naïve. She understood the saying of 'kill or be killed', and if it came to a fight between the enemy and her brother well then she wanted her brother to be able to win. Claws might be good for a surprise, but they didn't have the range of an arrow or dagger, nor the maneuverability of a sword. They were, to put it bluntly, quite simply useless for a human.

"Besides," Edmund continued after Susan let her reasoning be known. "I heard one of King Gale's sons made a fork!"

"Edmund," Peter sighed. "That's just an old joke that people used to tell when they described Prince Dirian's Trident. You know, how he ate away at Narnia's enemies with his giant fork?"

"Close enough."

"No, Edmund, not close enough." The elder king rubbed the bridge of his nose again. "Who do you suppose is going to teach you how to use them, anyway?"

The dark-haired boy rolled his eyes. "We do have an entire regiment made up of Cats, Peter. I'm sure one of them wouldn't mind teaching me." Peter looked ready to argue, but Edmund wouldn't let him begin. "Besides, it's not like I can change it now. My thirteenth birthday is tomorrow and tradition dictates that the member of the royal family must present their weapon at their birthday celebration. Just because you were already thirteen and had no time constraints doesn't mean the rest of get the same privilege."

"Ed-"

"Oh come on, Peter," Lucy intervened for the first time that night. "Just let him keep his claws. They can only help him." She gave her eldest brother a sympathetically pointed look. Peter understood though, and only sighed again and relented; Lucy was right.

"You had best become a master with those, Ed." He finalized, not happy, but at least willing to consent. Susan, who had been ready to continue the argument, also stopped upon seeing the looks on her siblings' faces. She wasn't going to win this one.

"But if you're not careful, we reserve the right to chose your next weapon." The eldest queen said through pursed lips. Her expression softened however, upon seeing the look of absolute elation that blossomed on her younger brother's face. It took a lot to get Edmund to smile, seeing as he was always so somber, and the family considered it a victory whenever they managed to make his lips turn upwards.

Jumping from his seat and giving both of his older siblings a hug, he shouted, "Thank you, thank you, thank you! I promise I'll work harder than ever. Thank you!" And he left the room in a hurry, a skip apparent in his step.

Despite themselves, the other three Pevensies had to smile. Edmund deserved to be happy, especially since his nightmares surrounding Jadis hadn't edged off as well as everyone had hoped. The fact that he was this happy meant a lot. Besides, he would be thirteen on the morrow; his siblings could afford him some leniency.

"Bet you both ten Gold Lions he trips on his way of the stairs." The girls only stopped laughing when they had to pay up.

* * *

The siblings' chambers were situated in one of the palace's highest towers. It was certainly an interesting climb, seeing as the main entrance to the tower was actually settled on the floor. The door opened up into a circular sitting room that served as a place for the siblings to relax and enjoy each others company. From there, four white doors led to each of the Pevensies' individual apartments, each basically consisting of a study, a washroom, a salon, a bedroom, and a place for visitors. Each bedroom finally led to a shared balcony that circulated the entirety of tower, leading to easy access for each of the four rulers. It was on this balcony that Lucy Pevensie was finally able to locate her brother.

"How are you not freezing?" She hid a laugh as her older brother spun around, only narrowly managing to avoid falling off the terrace.

"Lucy! Don't do that!" His breathing was deep and he was dramatically clutching at his chest. "You nearly gave me a heart attack."

The almost eleven-year-old just giggled. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."

"Right."

"I didn't!"

"Sure, sure, I believe you." But he was smirking, so Lucy knew that all was forgiven. She lightly skipped over to where he was sitting on the banister and sat down with him. It was a cool night, but there wasn't much wind, so it wasn't hard for them to adjust to the temperature.

After a few minutes of comfortable silence, Lucy turned to her brother and asked the question she had wanted to ask from the start. "Edmund?"

"Yeah, Lu?"

"Why _did_ you make claws?" Her inquiring look took the older boy by surprise. There were times when he had been witness to his little sister's growing maturity and insight, but it had never really been directed at him before. It really was an incredible thing to see.

That didn't mean Edmund wasn't going to try his hardest to ignore it. "What do mean? I already told you all-"

"Peter and Susan _might_ have bought your excuse, but I didn't. You put more thought than that into your ideas, Ed, especially ones as important as this. There's no way you would have done it just because it seemed different." Her blue eyes were large and questioning, and Edmund was finding it increasingly difficult not to tell her his reasoning.

"It really isn't anything important." He kept his gaze on the rocks below them.

"If it wasn't important you wouldn't have fought so hard against Peter and Susan." They both grinned slightly.

His dark eyes met hers and his smirk widened. "And how do you know that? The Weapon Ceremony has been a tradition in the Narnian Royal Family since the time of King Frank III. 'To not have a weapon forged by your own hands on the day of your Thirteenth Birthday is tantamount to blasphemy'."

"…What?" Lucy sent him a look that quite clearly said she though he was crazy. This, in turn, only made the older boy start to laugh. Hard. "Why are you laughing at me?"

"No reason, no reason." He chuckled out and the younger girl tried to look affronted. It didn't work. "Sorry Lu, but I suppose you missed that particular lesson."

"What lesson?"

"The one where Master Phennon explained the Ceremony to us." He said, referring to the aging owl that served as their history tutor. "According to him, if we don't have a weapon for it, we might as well just hide our faces in shame for the rest of our lives."

"Really?"

"Yeah." Edmund nodded. "And the only reason Peter is exempt from it is because he was already thirteen when we entered Narnia, so he got to share the Ceremony with Susan."

"Well, I knew that." She smiled. "However, you haven't answered my question."

"…What question?"

"Edmund…" She gave him a stern look.

Sighing, Edmund nodded. "Are you sure you really want to know, Lucy?"

"I wouldn't have asked if I didn't." She replied, exasperated.

"Lucy." His tone stopped her. Gone was the teasing older brother and in his place sat a serious young man. "Do you really want to know?"

"Yes." It was soft, but definite, and Edmund smiled.

"Alright." He turned his eyes away from her and moved to stare at the sky. "Let's see, where to start?" He gaze seemed to move past the sky and towards a place Lucy couldn't see. "When I was with the Witch, she told me many things. I won't tell you all she said, but there was one thing that I couldn't stop thinking about." He stopped as if to collect himself and Lucy grasped his hand in comfort.

"She said-" He took a deep breath. "She said that in her world there were people who could turn others into the creature that best suited their personality. It wasn't used much in case the person was turned into something that could beat the caster, but it was possible." Lucy tightened her grip. "I was really beginning to regret everything by that point and she knew it, so I suppose she wanted to drive it home a bit more."

"Ed-" Lucy tried to say how sorry she was, but her brother held up his hand.

"Don't interrupt, Lu." He smiled sadly and Lucy slowly nodded. She wouldn't interrupt. "Anyway, she told me that if she had the power to do that in this world, then she knew what creature I would become. She said that if I were to turn into anything it would be a snake because they're as low as the dirt they slither on and don't care about anything but themselves. She told me that snakes were treacherous and deceitful and that I was no better."

"She said what?" If jumping up wouldn't have caused her to fall several hundred feet, it's exactly what Lucy would have done. But Edmund just held up his hand for silence and continued to show his sad smile.

"You said you wouldn't interrupt."

"How can you expect me not to interrupt when you tell me things like this?" Tears glistened in her eyes, but Edmund just tightened his grip on her hand.

"Because I'm not done." He raised an eyebrow. "Can I continue?" It took a moment, but Lucy eventually nodded. "Good. Now, ever since I learned of this ceremony I began to think of the type of weapon that would represent what I wanted to be and not what I had been. So, I thought: what could I try to be if not a snake? It was then that I decided I would try to be like the one who saved me from that life; I refused to be a snake, and so I would become a lion." He gave a small laugh and Lucy's eyes continued to shine. "Both of them have fangs, you know, but only lions have claws."

"Ed..." She sniffed very loudly and moved to envelop her brother in a large hug. In fact, if not for the column next to them, both siblings could very well have fallen off the balcony.

"Lucy – what-?" Edmund was startled by this sudden emotional display, something of which he was not prepared to deal with at all. His sister however, just continued to hold him tightly around the waist and cry for him. Tentatively, he placed his hands on her shoulders and gripped them softly. "Lu…"

"I – I'm so so – sorry, Ed." He could feel her tears dampening his tunic. "So sorry." Her sobs increased and Edmund awkwardly patted her back. Peter and Susan were far better at this whole comforting thing.

It took a while, but eventually Lucy calmed down. She did not, however, release her grip on Edmund. The young queen was not going to let him go just yet.

"Lucy. Lu?" He tried to detach her, but the girl just shook her head and held on tighter. Edmund sighed. "Lucy, I sort of need to breathe." She immediately let go with a gasp, as if appalled at having hurt him further after his tale.

"Sorry!" Her eyes were wide and afraid, but Edmund just laughed it off, trying to put her back at ease.

"It's fine, Lu."

"Really?" She gazed imploringly up at him, and despite himself, the young king was touched.

"Really." They smiled at each other.

"So, that's why you made claws? To make you feel closer to Aslan?" Everything seemed to brighten at the Lion's Name, including both children, and the somber mood lightened.

"Mmhm." At this, Lucy gave a large smile and began to swing her feet back and forth in joy.

"Well, I think that is perfectly good reason. I like it!" She said jovially and Edmund couldn't help but laugh.

"Good to know."

"So…can I see them?" She asked curiously with a slight pout for added effect.

"You know, I'm really beginning to regret teaching you how to do the perfect puppy dog face." He said sardonically and Lucy gave him a bright smile.

"I know!" But Edmund only shook his hand and took the thick leather gloves from the place beside him.

"Here." He put both of them on each of her hands. They were slightly too big, but that didn't distract from the absolute skill that obviously went into them. "Now, just fold your hands into a fist."

"Like this?" The queen asked, showing him her hands.

"Sort of, but put your thumbs on the inside." She did so and immediately four long blades emerged from the slits above the knuckles.

"Whoa!" Her eyes shined as she looked at Edmund. "How in the worlds-? Edmund, how did you get them to do that?"

Her brother only grinned sheepishly. "All I did was make the blades. The dwarves in the smithy put them together with the leather and made them retractable. They said something about pressurizing it and the force of the knuckles on the knives, but that's all I got." Both rulers smiled and laughed. Dwarves had the tendency to ramble when it came to their craft.

"Well, I like them. You made a good choice." Slipping off the gloves to give back to him, the girl nodded in approval.

"Care to tell that to Susan and Peter?" The slight upturning of the lips told her he was only joking, but she pushed him lightly anyway.

"Stop it." She giggled. "Once they realize how useful these are they'll get over it. They're just concerned."

"I know, but that doesn't make it any less annoying." He crossed his arms and grumbled. Lucy though, giggled and latched onto his arm.

"Aww, come on Ed. Better they smother you now about this then a time when you really don't want them too."

"Such as…?" He should have known not to ask when he saw the mischievous gleam in her eyes.

"When you get your first suitor."

"Lucy!" The girl burst out into laughter at her brother's red and sputtering face.

"Yeeeess?" She giggled again, but tried to cover it up with her mouth. Needless to say, she didn't succeed.

"That's – that's…urg!" The fact that his voice cracked at the end of the statement only made the situation funnier. If she had not been holding onto Edmund, Lucy may have very well plunged onto the rocks due to all her laughing. The girl probably would have continued if indeed Susan hadn't walked onto the balcony at that very moment.

"Edmund! Lucy!" She hissed, exasperated and mothering all at once. "What in Narnia are the two of you still doing up? It is half past midnight. You both should have been in bed ages ago."

Lucy, still giggling, and Edmund, still grumbling, could only stare at the older girl. She was definitely a sight: hair mussed from sleep, nightgown rumpled, and a tired frown on her face. Like Edmund, she did not enjoy being woken up after she had already fallen asleep and her two younger siblings had obviously just done that.

"Sorry Susan."

"Sorry, Su."

Their older sister could only sigh, knowing it was useless. Shaking her head, she pointed to their rooms. "Come on, now, get to bed. We have a long day ahead of us and we all need to be able to stay awake." She watched disapprovingly as the two youngest Pevensies swung their legs back over the side of the railing so that they could be firmly placed on the marble terrace. "And what have I told you both about sitting there? You could fall and get seriously hurt or killed!"

"We're not going to fall, Su." But Edmund knew it was fruitless. Susan would no more listen to him about it as she would Peter or Lucy. The girl was convinced one of them was going to fall and so she would become absolutely terrified whenever she found one of them sitting on it.

"You don't know that, Ed." She pursed her lips and her skin went pale. All manner of horrible ways they could fall went through her head, but she shook them off. Gathering herself once more, Susan pointed again in the direction of their rooms. "Now, go on, get to bed."

"Sure, Su."

"Night, Susan."

The older girl nodded with a small smile and returned the way she came, content in the fact that the two would at least be going to sleep now. They would need all the sleep they could get if they wanted to be able to sit through the countless speeches at tomorrow's party. Aslan, help them all.

When they heard the sound of their sister's door closing, Edmund and Lucy turned to each other again and cracked a grin. Gathering up his gloves, the knives now retracted, Edmund offered his arm to his sister.

"May I escort you to your rooms, Milady?" He said in the most posh and exaggerated court tone possible. Lucy, giggling, took his hand with a curtsy.

"You may, Milord, thank you." And so the two walked along the balcony to the eastern side where Lucy's rooms were placed. The girl opened the glass doors and let go of her brother's arm.

"Night, Ed." She said softly.

Edmund smiled and said, "Night, Lu." He began to walk away when he felt the smaller hands grasp his robe. Turning to look at her inquisitively, Edmund was startled when she threw herself around his waist once more and hugged him tightly.

She held on for a few moments before she spoke in a tone so soft, Edmund almost thought he imagined it. "You're not a snake, Ed. You never were. You've always been a lion; you just needed to realize it yourself." Letting go of her stunned brother, she gave him a peck on the cheek and whispered, "Happy birthday, big brother." With that, Lucy turned back around and entered her rooms, closing the door behind her. Edmund, still in a daze, slowly managed to make his way back to the western side of the tower to his own rooms.

Entering through the doors and pulling the drapes over them, the now thirteen-year-old king lit a candle and gently placed his gloves on the stand next to his bed. He stared at them for a while, taking in their deadly beauty and what they symbolized. In his head, he ran through the conversation he had had with Lucy. In a way, he felt much lighter, but he knew it would take more than one talk to completely erase what Jadis had done to him. Still, it was a start.

Slowly, he began to smile and he didn't even realize it when he began to cry (or perhaps he didn't care). They weren't tears of joy, nor were they of sadness, but they came from something good, and that perhaps was enough. So, as he blew out the candle and climbed into bed, Edmund felt content for the first time in a while.

"Thank you, Lucy." He murmured sleepily, his eyelids drooping. Yes, sleep sounded nice. Vaguely, he thought he heard the rumbling laugh of the Lion as he drifted off, and his heart warmed. Yes, it was a happy birthday.

Two years later, Edmund was not surprised to find himself helping Lucy make her very own set of claws.

* * *

Well, there you have it. Please REVIEW, but DON'T FLAME. I like constructive criticism because I think it helps me improve, but flames are just mean. Listen to Thumper: "If you have nothing nice to say, then don't say anything at all."

Gold Lions: A type of Narnian currency.

Hope you liked it! Good night/day!

BYE!

~TimeMage0955


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